Haak hunting for European glory

Isabelle Haak is one of the brightest stars in world volleyball. Hailing from Sweden, by no means an international volleyball powerhouse, Bella, as Haak is more commonly known, has reached the very pinnacle of the game in no time at all.

At only 24 years of age, Haak already has a full decade of domestic club volleyball under her belt. She made her debut for Swedish side Engelholms VS at the age of just 14 and played there for four years, winning the Swedish league twice, before earning a move to France. After a season at Béziers VB, where she was named Ligue A Féminine’s Most Valuable Player, she moved to volleyball powerhouse Savino Del Bene Scandicci, but it wasn’t until Haak arrived at Turkish side Vakifbank S.K. that she really found her stride.

It was with Vakifbank that Haak reached her first CEV Champions League SuperFinal, in 2021, losing to A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano. That defeat was put behind the team immediately when they reached the SuperFinal again the following year, this time emerging victorious in a rematch with Imoco. After three years in Turkey, Haak moved back to Italy, joining Imoco, the team she had faced in the two previous CEV Champions League SuperFinals.

Bella has been a force to be reckoned with in the CEV Champions League. Since making her European debut, in 127 matches Haak has racked up 2629 points. If she records four winning spikes in this year’s SuperFinal, the Swedish opposite will have scored 2200 total in the competition, along with 216 kill blocks and 218 aces.

Haak has scored an astonishing 221 points in the Champions League this season, only Tijana Boskovic has scored more. In the semi-finals, no one scored more points than Bella’s 66, recording a set average of 7.33. Her performances in the competition this season have seen her earn a nomination for the All-Star Team, and fans can cast their votes now.

The opposite made her international debut at the age of 14 against Latvia, becoming the youngest ever volleyball player to represent Sweden at senior level. She was a member of the Swedish teams that won the U19 North European Volleyball Zonal Association Championships in 2014 and 2015. Since then, for the senior team, Haak has tasted victory in the Women’s Silver European Volleyball League in 2018 and 2022, as well as finishing as runners-up in 2023.

Haak, who was named Best Female Volleyball Player of the Year by CEV in the 2021/22 season, will be looking to claim her second CEV Champions League title, and put A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano back on top of the continent for the first time in three years, when they take on fellow Italian side Allianz Vero Volley Milano in this year’s SuperFinal on 5 May.